Are You Bare … Down There? The Brazilian Wax Trend

Call it a mark in the sand, a demarcation of age, a generation gap. But, I was shocked to find out that nary a hair exists, down there, if you are under the age of 25. I’ve had it confirmed by my GYN friends, “Not a pube exists on a 25-year-old in the entire region.” Yes, I did just write pube. I’m writing about Brazilian waxes and I’m just getting started.

What? I mean really, what pictures am I supposed to put with this article? I thought a collection of Georgia O’Keefe paintings might be nice …

I am an active Vanderbilt grad, and I still volunteer on campus. So, quizzing this age group is fairly easy. These girls say that it’s aaaaallllll the rage. Really? When did this happen? I thought it was risqué and sexual in nature. Apparently if 40 is on coming up in your near future, or if it’s in your rear view mirror, it still has sexual connotations. But, if you are in your teens or 20’s, it a hygiene thing. Think underarm hair. Really. I knoooooooow. You’re shocked, too.

The Vandy informants says, “Probably about 50% of the girls get it all completely waxed off and most others shave it all. I’m sure that some go au natural, but not many.”

Well, not to be left in the dark, I spent some time at Wax Nashville, my city’s only dedicated wax studio, to find out how pervasive this practice is. Rochelle Pappas, a co-owner at Wax Nashville, told me that some days she has 17 appointments for a Brazilian. My jaw hit the floor with that one. “Seventeen? These are just for you and don’t include the other aestheticians?” “That’s right. And, we do men.” AGGGHHHHHH. WHAT?????? WHHHYYYYY? “Pilot’s, bikers, entertainers. They get stinky and hot down there and less hair makes it more comfortable.” Well, OK. I guess I can understand that. “But, by and large we do women. Our most requested booking is a B&B: Brows and Brazilian.” I will never think of a B&B the same way again.

In Louisville, Michael Cecil (Michael is a woman) at Polished Salon, is similarly busy. She says that most younger women do want the full Brazilian, but that the trend is not entirely generational; older women are starting to do it too. Michael is known as the “Waxing Guru” with an adept skill at making everything comfortable for the customer. She uses a numbing spray to start and breathing techniques throughout to relax the customer. When Heidi, our StyleBlueprint Louisville editor, was doing an informal poll of where to go to get a Brazilian wax, her name came up again and again.

Back to Georgia O’Keefe…

So, not to reveal if I actually had a Brazilian or not, if you wish to experience this, I say “Why not?” And, if you have girls, you need to know that this is just the way things are — like underarm hair and leg hair, there’s probably no going back.

As an aside, a new market has apparently sprung up for merkins. Yes, merkins. A merkin is a pubic wig. Yes. Hollywood apparently orders them by the truckload because none of their actresses have a pube left and it’s still considered icky to have a sex scene with the actress having her nether regions looking bare. So, as capitalism goes, a whole industry has been formed for the needed merkin …Don’t believe me? Click here.

Digressions aside, I asked Rochelle what to expect when you get a Brazilian. Here is what she said:

We don’t make you get in any crazy positions. No need to get on all fours.

It’s not the most painful part of the body to have waxed for some people. For me (Rochelle) that’s my upper lip. (to which one of my friends quipped, “Which lip?”)

SO I had to ask (because I knew YOU wanted to know!), “Um, well what position are you in?” “Flat on your back with your legs basically in an Indian style position.” Michael at Polished Salon concurred, but added that she covers all parts of the customers body that are not being waxed and she uses a disposable bikini.

Canna, by Ms. O’Keefe

This trend (I think I can confidently say that it is beyond the fad stage) is here to stay. A Brazilian, which leaves a strip, and a Monte, where it ALL comes off, has progressed past sexual in nature. This is now simply a grooming matter that women are embracing for themselves. And, now YOU know, too.

So, will you try this? I mean, if you don’t like it, it will grow back…